Hello all.
This is my first posting and question.

I have been dipping into the forum for some time as an observer and it has proved a great help, many thanks to all and especially to those that are behind it, it must take up a lot of your time.

I have a ’97 2.1 TD Exclusive, 144,000.

Firstly it has a steering problem, intermittent stiffness etc, this may well be solved when I tension the auxiliary belt as advised on this forum.

While examining around the front suspension I realised that the offside lower suspension front bush is also knackered.
Now Haynes, (groan)! Says replacement of these bushes is a Citroen specialist job. Is this true? Haynes claims these bushes can only be removed by a press. I’d like to hear what you people have to say on this.

As a follow up question, is this worn bush the reason my XM steers like a canal boat, what with the stiffness and also a tendency to lurch to the side?

Thanks again.
Oscardog.

Well I'd say you'd need to get the bushes sorted and then take it for a tracking check.

As for the stiffness, tightening the belt could help but also consider flushing the hydraulics and cleaning the filters in the LHM tank.

Steve.

Hi Oscardog.

If only XMs were built as well as canal boats, we'd be laughing ! I haven't had occasion to do a front arm bush on any of mine, but I think it's fair to say a little ingenuity will get you around most of them. Failing which, if you have got the arm off and present it to any half reasonable independent garage, there should only be a very modest charge to press a bush out and in. It's the rest of the job they stick you for !

Mike.

Hi Mike.

Yes as you say if only, oh to be on the cut, I wonder if my French tank floats.

Good idea with the bushes, I do have a chap that sort of specializes in Citroen and he may well oblige.

I try and do most of my own maintenance, it was just the comment in Haynes suggesting this difficulty that put me off, but as you say if I do the expensive donkey work that should help with costs.

Anyway, thanks for the good advice and thanks to Steve too, I hadn't thought about tracking, that may well be the route of the problem.

Cheers.

Glenn.

Also have a look at your FDV (flow distribution value) when this wares out your steering will become lumpy and then really heavy. Just had to replace mine and it made a lot of difference.

Also check flow distribution valve for leaks as this will give heavey steering. Citroen do a repair kit for peanuts but you need to be careful not to scratch the bores when removing the circlips. The first car I did I put it back on each time to use the pump to push the cap out the bore but second car I had a compressor and this made life easy.

Now for the bushes. I did them on a mark1 several years ago. The "front" bush will push out using drifts and a vice in the usual manor but you will need to grind of the "rear" bush as it actually has a metal tube in the centre which sits in contact with arm. Sand the arm to clean it and then use a heavy hammer to "persuade" the new "rear" bush on.

Thanks to you all for the advice.

Glenn.

oscardog, please let us know how you get on.

I have a "heavy steering" issue to resolve soonish.

Will do DrTim.

The odd thing with my problem is that at the moment and indeed for the last 5 days or so the steering has been fine.
This suggests to me that it probably is a belt tension problem rather than what I would imagine is a more permanent hydraulic problem.
What with the hot weather etc it may just be not loading up the auxilliary belt so much leaving power for the steering.

The bushes on the other hand will see me crawling under the car, no getting away from that I'm I'm afraid.

I'll keep you informed anyway.

Oscardog.